Immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment of uterine cervical adenocarcinoma

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K09223
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 56040:Obstetrics and gynecology-related
• Research Institution: Kanazawa University
• Principal Investigator: Ozaki Satoru 金沢大学, 保健学系, 助教 (40401921)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 笠島 里美 金沢大学, 保健学系, 教授 (20444200) ; 中村 充宏 金沢大学, 医学系, 講師 (50377397)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 子宮頸部腺癌 / 癌微小環境 / 腫瘍免疫回避

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Although there are two histological types of cervical cancer, squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma, there is no distinction in treatment. However, the biological characteristics and clinical behavior of adenocarcinoma are different from those of squamous cell carcinoma, and it is necessary to elucidate the unique cancer progression mechanism of adenocarcinoma in order to develop more effective treatment strategies. In this study, we performed image analysis of the entire tumor specimen using virtual slides, which are digitalized histopathological specimens, and measured the type and number of immune-related cells. The results showed that there were differences in some aspects of the immune evasion mechanism of tumor cells between the two groups.

Free Research Field

腫瘍病理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

子宮頚癌の組織型には、扁平上皮癌と腺癌の２種があるが、治療法は区別されていない。しかし、腺癌の生物学的特性および臨床挙動は、扁平上皮癌と異なっており、より効果的な治療戦略構築のため、腺癌独自の癌進展機構の解明が必要である。本研究の免疫染色の画像解析結果により、細胞性免疫を担うTh1と液性免疫を担う Th2、および細胞性免疫を抑制する Tregの出現数において、腺癌は扁平上皮癌に比し、Th1―Tregの出現比率が有意に低いことが示された。腺癌ではTregによる細胞性免疫の抑制がより強い環境にあり、Tregの誘導制御が腺癌の効果的な治療法の確立に寄与すると考えられた。